Mulayam Singh Yadav, the head of [B]India’s[/B] Socialist (Samajwadi) Party, said he would get rid of a recently introduced law that handed death sentences to repeat rape offenders, because it was not uncommon “for boys to make mistakes”.
Referring to a recent case from Mumbai in which three men were sentenced to death for carrying out two gang rapes, Mr Yadav told an election rally that rape happens because women lead men on.
“Boys will be boys. Following a girl-boy fight, the girl complains she was raped,” he said.
On Friday, Mr Yadav, whose son is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, appeared to row back on his comments.
“Many people said that my comments were right. I am against rape. Rapists should be given the most severe punishment,” he said at another rally.
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“Innocent people should not be hanged. Rape is being debated in half the world. If I said this, it was wrong.”
His original comments were echoed by the Socialist Party’s Maharashtra unit chief, Abu Azmi, who said that women who have sex outside marriage should be punished by death, even if they are raped.
“If rape happens with or without consent, it should be punished as prescribed in Islam”, Mr Azmi told the [B]Mid-Day website[/B].
“The solution is this: any woman, whether married or unmarried, who goes along with a man, with or without her consent, should be hanged. Both should be hanged. It shouldn’t be allowed even if a woman goes by consent.”
Mr Azmi’s son Farhan, who is standing as a Socialist candidate in Mumbai, apologised for his father’s comments, according to [B]The Independent[/B].
“I believe a rapist should be hanged a hundred times,” he said. “I have five sisters and everyone in my family believes the same.”
The comments also drew condemnation from several other politicians.
Shobha Oza, a spokesman for the ruling Congress Party, said, “It is unfortunate that any leader makes such a statement regarding a crime like rape. Such statements encourage persons involved in such crimes.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is expected to win India’s ongoing elections, called Mr Yadav’s statement “insensitive and shameful”.
Susieben Shah, chairperson of the Maharashtra Commission for Women, told the [B]Indian[/B] [B]Express[/B] that she had issued a notice for Mr Azmi to appear in person to explain his statement.
“His statement is deplorable, irresponsible and condemnable … When you are in a position of power, you are duty-bound to protect women?” she said. “I call upon all women to come out in large numbers like they did in Bastar, Vidarbha and Delhi to vote for a leader who protects women’s dignity.”
